Snippets of Waiting
by ProfTweety
Summary: Knowing they wouldn't be stopping, their hands trailed everywhere, they kissed all over each other's bodies, and whispered words of love and promises for their future together. (Shandy, post-health incident)
1. Chapter 1

_**Snippets of Waiting**_

 **Disclaimer** : I own nothing related to _Major Crimes_. James Duff, et al, has that lovely distinction.

 **Summary** : Knowing they wouldn't be stopping, their hands trailed everywhere, they kissed all over each other's bodies, and whispered words of love and promises for their future together.

 **A/N1** : Enjoy! Leave a _review_ if you feel so inclined. They are ever so appreciated. **#TodayIsLife**

 **A/N2** : For _ImperfectBeing_ and _EvilRegalShandyLvr21_ just because.

~~~~~PT~~~~~

When Andy was finally settled in a room, and awake enough to have visitors, Sharon hung back so everyone present could spend time with him. She wanted to be alone with him for as long as she could and figured going last would allow for that.

Walking into his room, the words the doctor had said came flooding back. "Mr Flynn had a heart attack." "Someone took very good care of him." "We got to him in time." "He should recover with little to no side effects." "His cardiologist will have to clear him before he can go back to work."

He looked pale and tired but he was alive and smiling at her. Her eyes misted at the thought of almost losing him once again. He reached out his hand to her when he noticed she wasn't moving towards him. Willing herself to be strong, to keep that promise she made to herself, her eyes dried up and her feet began taking steps towards his bed. Her hand immediately took his and held on tight briefly before she loosened her grip.

"I'm okay, Sharon," he rasped. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"I was worried but not scared," she corrected. It was a white lie and they both knew it but she felt the need to withhold the full truth in that moment.

"Okay," was all he said as he tugged her hand, indicating he wanted her to sit on the edge of the bed. "Kiss me," he rasped with a smirk. She did; it was soft and only slightly less than chaste but it would suffice.

They discussed what the doctor had told both of them separately. When he was about to fall asleep again, she said her good-byes, kissed him longer than she initially did, and promised to visit every chance she could until the doctor allowed her to take him home.

"This time it is _home_ ," he said softly as he stroked her face.

"Yes, this time it is," she whispered before kissing him again then getting up to leave. Standing by the door, though they had said it during their discussion, she felt the need to say, "I love you, Andy."

"I love you too, Sharon," he said sleepily.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

~~~~~# # #~~~~~

After his cardio-therapy as an inpatient was completed, and his patience had long disappeared, Sharon happily brought Andy home. Once inside their condo, she insisted he sit on the couch while she brought his bag into their bedroom. Rolling his eyes, he said nothing and sat down.

After making them both tea, she joined him and was surprised at his first question. "Have you cried yet, Sharon?"

First her lips formed a flat line as she thought about her answer. "No, I haven't, Andy, but I should be worrying about you not the other way around," she insisted.

"You can, ya know," he assured her, letting his fingers travel down the arm nearest him.

"I have no reason to cry. You're fine and you shouldn't be worrying yourself about me," she insisted again.

"I love you. Of course I'm worried about you. What kind of a guy would I be if I wasn't?" He'd been keeping tabs on her through Provenza at work and Rusty at home. The kid didn't want him to worry and _mess up his heart again,_ as he put it, so he was willing to keep him updated.

"I love you too," she whispered before gently kissing him and snuggling into him. He wrapped her up tightly in his arms. It had been too long since he could freely hold her. "I _don't_ want you to worry about me but I _do_ want you to follow your doctor's orders," she murmured into his chest. The sound of his heart beating regularly brought a peace to her she hadn't felt since that day in the Murder Room when he collapsed.

"I will and if I don't, you'll make me," he teased.

"Yes, I will," she answered seriously. "You have to take care of yourself, Andy. You have so much to live for."

Kissing the top of her head, he agreed. "Yeah, I do."

At bedtime, as she began her nightly routine, Sharon smiled at the sight of Andy back in their bed. Picking out a pajama set, she turned around at his loud sigh. "Is anything wrong?"

"Wear a nightgown," he suggested.

"I'm trying to make this easier on you," she responded with a smile.

"I think you're beautiful in anything you wear. Plus," he smirked, "I know what's underneath."

She sighed but smiled at him after. "A nightgown it is but only as long as you behave yourself. You're not cleared yet."

"I'll behave," he promised.

~~~~~# # #~~~~~

She woke up to his fingers traveling along her body. They were barely caressing her skin, leaving goose pimples in their wake. He'd taken to kissing her more often in the week he'd been home but she was yet to allow a full kiss. They touched in general as much as they always did but she wasn't ready to kiss or touch like lovers. Now here she was reacting as if she didn't need to protect him from himself.

"I don't want us to take two steps backwards," he rasped, sleep still heavy in his voice. .

"We're following doctor's orders," she gently reminded him.

"He didn't say we had to lose the intimacy between us," he reminded her. "He said we can't make love but he also said not to let our romantic connection get lost."

Sighing, she turned to face him. "I know but," she paused, looking for the right words, "sometimes that's easier said than done."

"I just want to touch you."

"I want you to, Andy, but -."

He interrupted her because she'd been spending too much time in her head since his heart incident. "We can put it off for now but we _can_ touch, Sharon. It won't cause another heart attack."

"It just seems like it's too soon." She wouldn't tell him the full truth just then but she knew she would have to eventually.

"Okay," he whispered and wrapped her in his arms. That much she would always let him do.

~~~~~# # #~~~~~

Another week had gone by and Sharon still wasn't responding to Andy the way he hoped she would. Rusty was gone for the weekend with Gus. They were going to see the other Sharon and make sure she was doing well living with Gary's parents.

Lying together on the couch, Andy decided to broach the subject. But first he'd try to kiss her. His fingers trailed up her arm until he could caress her face. The gentleness in his touch made Sharon look up at him. Covering her lips with his, he ghosted his tongue along her lower lip. A soft hum escaped, encouraging him. When he tried to move his tongue into her mouth, she moved back.

"It's too soon," she murmured as she sat up.

"Not according to my doctor," he quietly argued. He had gone for his two-week check-up and was told he was healing according to schedule. While they still couldn't make love, his doctor had verified they _could_ make out.

"I don't want you to get worked up, Andy." It was the best way she could explain her hesitation without admitting her true feelings about his latest health crisis.

With a sigh, he moved closer to her. "Kiss me, Sharon," he quietly commanded. They kissed with open mouths but she still wouldn't allow his tongue access. "Do you remember when I was waiting for you to be ready?"

"Of course I do. You were very patient." Her hand instinctively settled on his chest.

"We kissed, Sharon, and we touched," he reminded her. "We worked our way through the steps but we did them."

"I remember," she said softly. Her body did also.

"My heart attack didn't kill me when it happened and it won't now." He hesitated slightly before adding, "I don't want it to break us."

"I'm just being careful," she explained.

"You're being too careful, if you ask me."

She leaned closer and kissed him. When she felt his tongue slip past her lips, she hummed. As he explored her mouth, she moaned softly. Though she wouldn't let him lean back for them to lie down, she didn't stop what they were doing. Her hand moved to his hair as she deepened the kiss. One of his hands was in her hair while the other was moving up and down her back. Several minutes had gone by; they lost track of time as they enjoyed reconnecting. It wasn't until he touched her derriere that she suggested they stop.

"We should pace ourselves," she suggested.

"Okay," he reluctantly agreed.

~~~~~# # #~~~~~

Over the next two weeks, they found themselves making out every chance they got. The location in the condo no longer mattered to Sharon nor did the amount of time they spent enjoying one another in the only way she felt they could.

A difficult case finally solved, she came home late and announced she needed a shower. Andy waited long enough for Sharon to be standing under the hot stream before he snuck in behind her. She gasped at his unexpected touch then turned to admonish him, reminding him that he still wasn't cleared by his doctor.

"We aren't going to do more than I'm allowed," he assured her as he let his fingers travel along her body. He could tell by her intake of breath that she was enjoying it more than she wanted to allow herself. In the middle of a heated kiss, he covered her breasts and began kneading them gently. Dipping his head away from her, he licked her hardened nipples then mouthed each breast, paying equal attention to both. Despite her protests, she held his head in place and her body reacted against her wishes. Moving back to cover her mouth, his hand trailed lower. Backing away slightly, he slipped his hand between them, intent on bringing her pleasure.

"Please don't," she breathed out when she realized what he intended to do.

"I want to make you feel good," he murmured before covering her lips again.

"You aren't cleared," she quietly protested.

"This isn't for me, Sharon, it's for you. I want you to feel good while we wait."

"We didn't do that when you were waiting for me," she reminded him. "Please, Andy."

"Okay, let's just shower together then," he offered with a small smile.

"Showering together would be nice," she agreed with a chaste kiss.

~~~~~# # #~~~~~

To his surprise, a week of showering together seemed to calm her and one day, after running her bath, she invited him to join her.

His arms wrapped around her as she leaned back against his chest. He left a trail of soft kisses along her neck and felt himself responding to her soft moans. She still pulled away when he began to become erect. He hoped she wouldn't this time.

"Stay here," he breathed into her ear.

"You're not cleared yet," she protested breathily. "We can't, Andy."

"We won't, Sharon, but we don't have to stop this." He turned her around to face him, covered her mouth with his and pulled her onto his lap. It was more than she could handle though.

"This is too much for you. We can't do this." Standing up, she stepped out of the tub and grabbed her towel. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she disappeared back into their bedroom.

Quickly he pushed the knob to release the water and got out. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he found her by her dresser. "You want me," he stated simply.

Looking at him, she seemed confused. "I love you. Of course I want to be with you, Andy."

"I wanted you back then, when I was waiting. That didn't stop me."

"Because you were trying to get me to change my mind," she reminded him with a smirk. "I'm not trying to do that."

"I'm waiting till my doctor clears me," he assured her. "But there's something wrong, Sharon. It feels like you're not telling me everything."

"There's nothing else to tell."

He knew that wasn't true. To the best of his knowledge, she hadn't cried or told anyone her feelings about his health scare. "Talk to me or make out with me," he suggested. Giving her options, he knew, would fall into her comfort zone.

She quickly closed the distance between them and kissed him passionately. He was so caught up that he opened her towel and let it fall to the floor. She was so busy avoiding admitting her fears that she didn't pay attention at first. It wasn't until he began backing her up towards their bed that she realized what he'd done.

"Andy, we can't," she whispered.

"We aren't," he promised. "I just want to make you feel good, that's all, I swear."

"I didn't when you were waiting," she stated more forcefully as he dropped his towel.

"That doesn't matter because we hadn't done anything then. We have now." His way of looking at things was they didn't know what they were missing back then but they did now.

"I'll wait, Andy, I will _always_ wait for you," she promised, her eyes briefly misting over. It was important that he hear those words from her again.

"I know you will, Sharon, and so will I." He kissed her then. It was soft and languid but they let the heat build up and within minutes, they were lying on their bed, wrapped up in each other. "I love you," he rasped.

"I love you, too," she husked.

They touched each other everywhere but their most intimate parts. Finally he took a chance and put his finger over her nub. She breathed in deeply but didn't say a word. He kept kissing her as his finger moved slowly over and around her sensitive spot. She stopped him before she reached climax so he began kissing down her body, aiming to bring her over the edge with his tongue.

As much as she wanted what he offered, she found her voice, "Andy, please stop."

Moving back up to her, he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "I wish you'd talk to me."

"I have, I do," she answered quietly.

"You haven't told me everything, Sharon, and I'm worried," he admitted.

"You have nothing to worry about. You just need to get better so your doctor clears you."

He knew he wasn't going to get further than that so he let it go and just held her.

~~~~~# # #~~~~~~

The day of his six-week check-up, Sharon was at work closing out their latest case. Rusty offered to take Andy to ease both of their minds.

As soon as the older man came back out into the waiting area, he announced, "I'm cleared for light duty only but at least I can go back to work." After thinking about it as they walked to Rusty's car, he added, "I'll be the damn desk monkey again but it shouldn't be for too long. I'm cleared!"

"That's great, Andy, but, like, don't overdo it. Sharon would be really messed up if you died."

That caught his attention. "Has she said anything to you?"

"No, but I can tell. I mean, she loves you so, of course, she's not going to want you to die."

"I'd hope not," he joked.

"Old people," he muttered as he rolled his eyes.

"Old people in love," Andy couldn't resist teasing the kid.

"That's it, I'm calling Gus. I need to stay there tonight." To show he was serious, he took out his phone and hit the number saved for his boyfriend. "He's cleared." After a brief pause, he ended with, "Thank you."

"That was quick," Andy chuckled.

"We've discussed it already," he clarified. "Do you want to bring your paperwork in today?"

"Well, I can't start until Monday but it couldn't hurt to bring in the paperwork before that. Provenza will be thrilled he's getting his desk monkey back."

Upon entering the Murder Room, Andy felt right at home and realized he missed working more than he thought he had. His colleagues all seemed a little nervous and very surprised to see him and Rusty there.

"I'm just dropping off my paperwork that says I can start back Monday," he told Provenza loud enough for everyone to hear.

Sharon came out of her office when she noticed her boyfriend talking to his partner. "What's going on?"

"I'm cleared and I come back to work Monday. Light duty, of course, but still I'm back." His smile was so wide that Provenza couldn't help but laugh at him.

"That's wonderful," his Captain told him. "I'll have my full team again."

"It'll be good to be back," he proclaimed happily, "even if I have to deal with his smart ass remarks." He pointed at his partner to be sure everyone knew who he meant.

Sharon's eyebrow rose at the curse but she didn't say anything. "It'll be good to have you back, Andy," she said softly. Directing her attention to her team, "Let's finish up the paperwork so we can go home."

"That's our cue to leave, Rusty," Andy announced. "I'll see everyone Monday."

They all wished him a good weekend and expressed how happy they were to have him back soon. Provenza added, "I can't wait to have my favorite desk monkey back," with a smirk.

"Go to -," he began but thought better of it. "Tell Patrice she's got more work to do with you."

With that he and Rusty left. The kid was in a hurry to pack an overnight bag and leave before Sharon got home. Old people in love; he didn't want to see that.

On the ride down in the elevator, Andy was quiet. Rusty had been noticing that while they seemed the same, there was something different that he couldn't put his finger on. "Why didn't you go see Sharon in her office?" he asked with a little hesitation.

"She was in Captain-mode," the older man answered with a shrug. "We'll talk at home."

"Okay," the kid responded, still wondering what was off about the couple.

[ **TBC** ]


	2. Chapter 2

_**Snippets of Waiting, Ch2**_

 **Disclaimer** : I own nothing related to _Major Crimes_. James Duff, et al, has that lovely distinction.

 **A/N1** : Enjoy! Leave a _review_ if you feel so inclined. They are ever so appreciated. **#TodayIsLife**

~~~~~PT~~~~~

Entering the condo, Sharon dropped her belongings in their proper places and called out to Andy. Upon hearing his response that he was making tea in the kitchen, she headed in that direction.

"Hi," she said softly as she entered, taking him in as she walked towards him. He looked happy and strong, much stronger than he had the day he came home from the hospital.

"Hey," he answered her, continuing to pour the hot water into their tea cups.

Once he'd returned the kettle to a cool burner on the stove, she wrapped her arms around him. "You're cleared," she whispered.

He held tight to her at first but then loosened his grip as he felt her begin to relax more. "Now we can honestly talk, Sharon, because I want to know what you've been keeping to yourself since the heart thing happened."

"You mean since you had a _heart attack_ , don't you?" she asked, moving to look at him. "All that matters, Andy, is that your doctor is satisfied with your health enough to clear you to return to work."

"Yes, I mean the _heart attack_ and no, that's not all that matters. Talk to me, Sharon." He kissed her softly, she deepened it.

As their tongues moved slowly around each other's, their hands explored and their bodies moved closer until no room was between them.

Between leaving warm kisses along her neck, he whispered, "I miss you, Sharon." It had more than one meaning but he didn't clarify. Instead, he simply added, "I want you," to allow her options yet again.

"I've missed you too, Andy," she breathed out, "and I want to be with you." Though there sounded like _but_ might be coming, she didn't add anything further.

Their next kiss heated up quickly so thoughts and words were forgotten for the moment. Wanting to be even closer, he untucked her blouse and slid his hands under, caressing her skin tenderly. Needing her to know how much he wanted her, he gently ground into her a few times. When he felt her begin to move back, he whispered, "We don't have to stop anymore."

Her breath caught in her throat and she saw him notice it. Her eyes misted over at the uncertainty that crossed his features. "Are you sure? Because I -." She stopped herself but knew it was too late. He would follow up.

"I'm sure," he told her, caressing her face with the back of his fingers. "Because you what, Sharon?" His voice was low but the concern in it almost shouted at her.

The mist became heavier so she tried to blink it away. "We shouldn't jump all in, Andy. We should take things slowly."

"Oh, I plan to take things _very_ slowly," he murmured as he closed the distance between them again. "We're going to spend a lot of time making out," he rasped before kissing her deeply. "We're going to touch each other everywhere," he continued, moving slowly down her neck until she moaned out loud. "I want to taste you," he said as his hand moved to her core and began rubbing it slowly. Pushing her against the countertop, he groaned before adding, "I miss being inside you." He paused, and then admitted, "I miss being a part of you, Sharon." He could tell by the way her arms tightened around him that he was affecting her but he could also tell she was fighting it. "We can make love again," he managed before he caught her lips in a searing kiss and increased his pace at her core.

As she felt the heat build up inside her, she debated whether to give in and let him bring her to climax or to stop him before they got too carried away. While she was lost in thought, he picked up the pace again and whispered words of love, longing and being alive between kisses. It was too late to make a decision as she felt her walls contract, her legs quiver and a loud moan escape just before she tumbled over the edge. Once she settled down, he wrapped her up in his arms.

Holding on to him just as tightly, she felt her eyes moisten more than she'd allowed since the day of his heart attack. "How do you feel?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from showing her loosening grip on her emotions.

"I was happy thinking I made you feel good but," he kissed her temple, "I don't think I did." Unlike his girlfriend, he willingly let the sadness seep into his voice.

Pulling away to look at him, she tried to reassure him. "You did, Andy, it's just -." She was getting too good at cutting her thoughts off and they both knew it needed to stop. "You looked so afraid that day." It was the best place to begin, she decided.

"So did you. You tried to hide it from the team but I was looking _right_ at you, Sharon, and you were just as scared as I was. Neither of us knew what the Hell was happening to me."

"I was worried," she corrected, just as she had that first time she could visit him that day.

"You were _scared_ , just like me." He was pushing her and he knew it could backfire but he'd stepped back and allowed her space the whole time he wasn't cleared. He'd long ago decided that once the Doctor signed his paperwork, he'd get her to clarify things.

"We made it through everything having to do with your blood clot and it brought us closer." She blinked to clear her vision. "Your heart attack came out of nowhere and it threw me, that's all." He didn't look like he was satisfied yet. "You were in so much pain and I couldn't do anything to help you." Sighing, "I couldn't make it hurt less." She moved further away and let her hands fidget as she contemplated her next words.

"You can't control everything, Sharon, much as you'd like to," he said softly but with a smile.

"I had -."

"Finish it," he prodded.

"I had faced my fears once, Andy, and I didn't think I'd have to do that again so soon."

"I'm sorry I keep scaring you," he murmured. He looked contrite, as if he'd done something wrong which only made her feel guilty.

"I thought I might -," she paused for a deep breath, "I didn't want to lose you," she finally admitted.

He moved over to her and wrapped his arms around her, his hand eventually making its way into her hair. "You might've been more afraid to admit _that_ than you were of the heart attack itself."

"I'm not needy, Andy, I can -," she began but he interrupted her.

"You can take care of yourself. You don't need me in your life," he squeezed her tight, "but you _want_ me in it or we wouldn't be living together." Feeling her nodding her head, he softly chuckled. "I know you're strong and independent. I'm not looking to change that because I love you just the way you are. Not wanting me to die on you isn't being needy." He moved back to look at her. "It's called love, Sharon. I'm not afraid to admit I don't want to lose you so you shouldn't be." After thinking a few seconds, he asked, "Do you think _I'm_ needy because I don't want to lose you? My life was fine before _us_ , but it's better now."

Quickly wiping a stray tear, she responded, "No, I don't think that, Andy."

"You're not either, so stop," he murmured hoarsely. "I'm selfish, Sharon, I want you to worry about me. I want you to miss me if I die before you, which, let's be honest here, seems like a strong possibility." He ran his hands over his face and up through his hair. "The main point of _all_ of this is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I want that too," she rasped as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm just used to staying strong and taking care of my loved ones."

"I know but that doesn't mean you have to hide what you're feeling. It doesn't mean you can't cry. I'm not saying have a breakdown in the middle of the Murder Room, which you _never_ would," he smirked, "that's more the Chief's thing anyway. What I _am_ saying is that here with me, you're safe."

"I know I am," she said, barely above a whisper. Moving back a little, she kissed his temple, along his jaw and finally placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "I want us to spend the rest of our lives together." Covering his mouth with hers, she wasted no time seeking and gaining entrance for her tongue. "My hesitation during your recovery wasn't about not wanting to be close with you."

"I know but I want you to tell me," he encouraged softly.

"I was afraid that I'd make things worse. I thought if you got," she hesitated, " _excited_ before you were cleared, it might affect your heart. The day that it happened, I went into the Chapel to pray. I asked God to give me more time with you and He did. I wasn't about to do anything to interfere with your healing."

"I wasn't doing anything my doctor didn't say was okay. Look, Sharon, he said a lot of couples get scared and they kind of put that part away completely during recovery but then they sometimes get so caught up being scared that it becomes a problem once they're cleared. I didn't want that for us."

"It's a good thing you're persistent." She gave him a warm, genuine smile and the only shine in her eyes was from relief. Holding her fears in to give her usual appearance of strength took more energy than she had realized and for the first time in a long time, she felt herself completely relax.

"It's a good thing I am," he teased before kissing her gently. "I'll make us new tea," he offered.

Once the hot beverages were prepared, Andy brought them in to the living room. Noticing Sharon leaning on her hand against the back of the couch, with one leg folded under her while the other foot touched the floor, he wiggled his eyebrows at her. She was still laughing as he sat down next to her.

"You could hurt my feelings laughing like that when I'm putting the moves on you," he teased.

"I've seen your moves and that isn't one of them," she countered with a giggle.

Leaning towards her, he caressed her cheek before brushing his lips against hers. "I really have moves?" he asked, trying to sound serious.

"Yes, you do," she answered, barely suppressing another giggle.

He kissed her deeply and ran his hand along her thigh, slipped it under her blouse and gently swiped his thumb over her nipple. "Do you remember when we were waiting but you were ready for us to touch each other?"

She hummed, recalling that first time they reached that stage in their relationship. "We lost track of time."

"We almost got caught by Rusty," he laughed. "It's a good thing he's staying with Gus tonight."

"Hmm, yes it is," she agreed, moving closer to him, "especially since you have _so_ many plans," she teased before kissing him.

"I don't care if it takes all night," he kissed along her neck, "we are going to make love because we love each other," he sucked on her ear lobe, "we missed each other," he sucked on her pulse point until she moaned, "we want each other," he lightly kissed her lips, "I'm cleared," he pulled her to him in a hug, "and this didn't break us."

" _Nothing_ will break us," she reassured him with a kiss to his cheek as she moved back to look at him. "We're strong, separately and together, and nothing will interfere with that."

"When I asked you out, I only had high blood pressure and I take my medication. You didn't sign -," he sighed when she interrupted.

"When I fell in love with you, I signed up for _everything_. Do you hear me? It takes _a_ _lot_ for me to stop loving someone." Her face flushed and he knew the reason.

"I'm a lucky guy," he said before kissing her.

"I wasn't the only one keeping something important to myself." She was looking at him again. "You were afraid of losing me too."

"Yeah, I was," he admitted quietly. "I didn't want to be a burden and twice now you've had to take care of me."

"I did it because I love you," she quickly explained. "You're _not_ a burden to me, Andy. You have never been and will never be a burden to me." She gently kissed his lips and was surprised when he didn't deepen it. "My continued hesitation is only because I'm worried you'll have another heart attack." This time when she kissed him, he responded passionately. By the time they moved apart, they were both flush with desire; their bodies wanting pleasure, release and that intimate connection no longer forbidden.

"We'll take this as slow as we both need to go," he promised before kissing her again. His hands slid up her thighs then back down several times before he let his fingers dance along her sides and barely brush her breasts.

Their kiss was slow yet deep and made the embers inside both of them burst into a full-fledged fire. Stopping briefly, she husked, "I want you to touch me," reminiscent of that night she first told him she was ready to move their relationship to the next step.

As their tongues swirled slowly around each other's, his hands covered her breasts, kneading them, pinching her erect nipples, and when she moaned he began unbuttoning her blouse. He moved away from her lips to kiss, lick and nip down her neck. Quickly untucking his shirt, she unbuttoned and removed it causing him to reclaim her mouth with heated passion. Instinctively he reached behind her to unclasp her bra but stopped himself; the idea _was_ for them to take it slow.

She felt his hesitation but decided to wait it out. As he bent his head down and began placing butterfly kisses on the exposed parts of her breasts, she realized why he changed direction. When she leaned back a little, he placed soft kisses on her nipples through the lace of her bra. Her moan encouraged him to begin lightly licking circles through the material. Moving the bra up, he held her breasts close together, mouthed one after the other, slowly back and forth until her hands were on his head, keeping him in place. Finally, he pulled her bra back down and she captured his lips in a passionate kiss that had him removing her blouse and lying them down.

Her hands went under his tee shirt and gently scratched down his back eliciting a low groan. Moving them sideways, his hand went to her core and began manipulating her nub quickly. Lost in the kiss and the fire that spread throughout, she fell over the cliff quickly.

When he realized her hand was resting on his member, he hoarsely whispered, "I want you to touch me," echoing her earlier statement.

Hesitantly at first, she slowly moved her fingers along him. Stopping to look at him, she whispered, "You're cleared," as if to remind herself. As if that was all she needed, her hand gripped his member and began massaging it. His loud groan told her to stop. They had plans to last longer than that.

Sitting up, he pulled her to straddle him and they resumed kissing, only moving apart briefly for her to remove his undershirt. Wanting fewer barriers, he decided to remove her bra as she moved her core along his member, reminding both of that day they made love for the first time.

"Oh, God, Sharon," slipped out making her stop moving while she checked on him. "I think we need less clothes and maybe our bed," he explained. Agreeing, she got up but he had thought of something else already. Joining her, he kissed her slowly but quickly opened her slacks and pushed them down. "I want to taste you," he whispered. "You wouldn't let me," he reminded her.

Sitting her back down on the couch, he opened his own trousers and knelt before her knowing she'd immediately place her legs over his shoulders. Once she had, his tongue flicked her nub then circled it before he sucked on it. Missing what she felt like, he slipped two fingers inside and began pumping in time with the movement of his tongue. "You're so wet for me," he rasped just before he increased his speed. She breathed out his name as she felt the waves crashing against the shore once again. Normally, he'd stop and move away but it had been too long since he'd enjoyed being with her so he continued his ministrations, stopping only to inform her, "I want to really hear you tonight, Sharon." Highly sensitive, she came again quickly, moaning out his name louder.

When he stood up, she pulled on his trousers and boxers, swiftly freeing his member enough for her to lick from base to head before taking all of him in. She had missed him but she was also still hesitant about making love right away. Her moans caused him to twitch in her mouth, encouraging her to continue. Applying just the right amount of suction, she moved along him, sucking and releasing repeatedly until she felt his hands on her head. Shaking it _no_ , she continued until he growled out her name as he emptied into her mouth.

After taking the rest of his clothes off, he kissed her, took her hand and led her to the bathroom. Cleaned up, they were back in the bedroom, putting on robes before he spoke up. "We have to wait now," he said softly, hand trailing up and down her arm while his other rested on her back, holding her close to him.

"I know, Andy, but that's okay," she reassured him with a kiss. "As you said, we have all night. We're off this weekend so we can sleep in."

"You wanted to see what would happen to me, if anything," he stated matter-of-factly.

"I wanted to be sure you'd be all right," she acknowledged. "We can eat dinner and drink new tea since we forgot about it again." Her fingers caressed his face. "You promised a lot of making out tonight."

He pulled her closer. "Hmm, I did, didn't I?"

"I fully intend to take you up on that," she smirked.

"That's why we only have robes on," he said as he caressed her breast through the material.

"You catch on quickly," she teased.

After another deep kiss, they went out to the kitchen to order their food.

There was time to snuggle and share soft kisses while waiting for the food to arrive. During dinner, they had regular conversation about how her latest case was closed, how good it would be for him to be back at work, and how much better he felt knowing he was cleared to go back.

True to her word, Sharon made tea after they'd cleaned up the remnants of dinner and they sat on the balcony to drink it and talk more about his health, the effects it had on each of them, and how it might affect their plans moving forward. The condo was home to all of them, despite seeming crowded at times and despite Andy's belongings remaining in storage. The conversation about whether to keep looking for a larger home, they decided, would keep till he'd been cleared for full-duty.

She'd read while he was catching part of the game. His team was losing badly so he turned the television off after half an hour. He'd ignored her laughing at his rants while he was watching but now that he'd given up, he turned his full attention to her. "Mark your page," he quietly ordered.

"I'm reading," she argued, voice just as quiet, trying not to laugh.

"You haven't gotten very far," he noticed. "You were too busy laughing at my pain."

"You're amusing when they're losing that badly," she chuckled, placing the bookmark to hold her spot and closing it.

"You like them too," he reminded her.

"I don't get riled up like you do though," she said, barely suppressing the laugh she could feel building up.

"I can think of other ways to get me worked up," he suggested with a smirk.

"I said _riled_ up not _worked_ up," she corrected with a smirk of her own as she turned towards him, her robe showing more of her breast than she realized.

"I'm getting worked up just looking at you," he gave her that lopsided grin she loved as his eyes remained on what her robe was exposing.

Moving closer, she kissed him deeply. "I love you," she rasped, her eyes misting up as she once again thought of how close she came to losing him. _Again_.

"I love you," he said against her lips, "and I missed you." Their next kiss heated up quickly. Enough time had passed for him to respond to her being naked under the robe, to her opening herself up more to him emotionally, and to her hand moving slowly along his body. "God, I want you, Sharon," he practically growled, "but in our bed."

Once Sharon had closed the door to their bedroom, Andy dropped his robe onto the floor. She repeated his action and watched his eyes darken immediately. Walking passed him, though his hand was reaching out to her, she smirked and pulled the linens down. He quickly made his way to the bed and was lying down before she was.

"Someone's eager," she said coyly.

"We're still taking this slow but I missed you. I know why you wouldn't let me make you feel good this whole time, but I wanted to show you it's not all about me."

"You showed me that by waiting so long for me, Andy, and I will _always_ wait for you." Her hand went from caressing his face down to resting over his heart. "We are going to spend the rest of our lives together and we'll get through whatever life throws at us."

"Yeah, we will," he agreed before kissing her. Knowing they wouldn't be stopping, their hands trailed everywhere, they kissed all over each other's bodies, and whispered words of love and promises for their future together.

When she'd gotten to the point of just needing release before they made love, she straddled his face, hands on the headboard, and head leaned back in anticipation. She bucked as soon as his tongue flicked her nub so he held onto her hips, keeping her in place. As he worked his magic, she tried to move around more but he held onto her. During her climax, she realized he'd enhanced the explosion and though she tried to be quiet, she loudly moaned out his name, bringing a smile to his face as he lapped up her sweet nectar.

Once she was lying next to him, she pulled him into a deep kiss and he rolled on top of her. Without hesitation, he entered her and slowly began moving knowing she'd match his rhythm.

He couldn't help but repeat, "I missed you, Sharon. I missed being a part of you."

Tightening her legs around him, "I missed you too. I want you to promise me something, Andy. If anything hurts or doesn't feel right, you'll stop."

He could see the concern in her eyes so, as much as he didn't plan on stopping, he promised her he would. "I don't think we'll have to though," he assured her. "I feel fine, terrific in fact." With that he picked up the pace as he kissed her.

"Oh, God, Andy," moaned loudly told him she was coming again so he let himself go over the edge with her.

After snuggling briefly, they made their way to the bathroom. Back in bed, he wrapped his arms around her as she lay with her head on his chest, listening to the regular beat of his heart.

"In spite of everything we carry with us, I'm glad we didn't find each other before," she whispered, glad he couldn't see her eyes had taken on a slight sheen.

"I am too," he agreed, kissing the top of her head, "and just so you know, I'm fine."

"Yes, you are," she smiled, picking her head to look at him, "and so are we. We didn't break, Andy."

"I was pretty sure we wouldn't," he said, reaching out to caress her face.

"I knew we'd be all right," she smiled and gently kissed him. As she laid her head back on his chest, he heard the relief flood her voice as she said barely above a whisper, "You're cleared."

[ **The** **End** ]

 **A/N2** : Thanks for hanging in there till the end!


End file.
